Looking after our buildings
The Church buildings were funded and built by generations of congregations and built up the present portfolio of buildings which we benefit from today. The cottage adjacent to the entrance was built c1850. The main church building was built in 1881 to supplement the lecture hall (1811) at the rear. The lecture hall was demolished in 1981. A new hall was built in 1986 and the manse rebuilt in 1994. The café and concourse were constructed in 2003.
All these buildings are held in trust for the beneficial use of the church congregation at the current time and for the essential work of teaching others about Christ. It is the duty of present congregations to maintain and improve the buildings thereby recognising the sacrificial giving of previous generations and exercising appropriate stewardship of the assets. It is also the duty of the present congregation to use the buildings wisely and effectively for God’s purposes locally.
Management of the fabric of the buildings is entrusted to a Fabric Committee who are elected from members of the congregation at the Church AGM. The members of the committee have a variety of skills appropriate to the tasks.
The Fabric Committee ensures that all statutory requirements are met and also ensures that day to day maintenance actions are carried out. Much of this work is done by volunteers and tradesmen are called in as necessary.
Volunteer working parties are organized bi monthly. These enable major cleaning and refreshment of decorations to be carried out. Plumbing and minor electrical repairs are also tackled. The grounds are kept tidy and restocked at these working parties. The church is blessed with skilled people who are able to undertake these tasks or to train others to do them.
The members of the Fabric Committee are always keen to hear from people with skills to offer and who can commit some time to help.